Lithium-ion batteries, which are increasingly widely used, have a variety of disadvantages that must be considered. Only 5% of wasted lithium-ion batteries, for example, are recycled, according to the EPA. Lithium-ion batteries are recycled because it is more expensive to do so than it is to manufacture a new one, which is the primary reason for this.
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Furthermore, there is currently no known method of properly disposing of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries have a negative impact on both the environment and human health. A team of researchers lead by Dr. Karen Wooley, Professor at Texas A&M University, discovered a novel type of battery that can address all of the difficulties mentioned above. In these batteries, which are also known as protein batteries, polypeptide molecules, which are the building blocks of proteins, are employed instead of lithium batteries.
Two electrodes (the anode and the cathode) and an electrolyte make up a battery's construction (a liquid in which ions can travel). Using a composite material consisting of black carbon and polypeptides, the researchers were able to manufacture the electrodes for the battery they built.
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When the researchers tested the batteries they had constructed, they found that the potential difference between the two electrodes was 1.5 V. Despite the low voltage, it is sufficient to power small electronic devices that do not require a lot of power to operate.
One of the most important qualities of the battery that was built is how quickly it can be recharged. Recharging a lithium-ion battery might take several hours, depending on the model. The protein batteries that have been made can be recharged in a matter of minutes.
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